Staying the Night
by Isis Lied
Summary: In which Kaneki stops by a certain mask maker's studio with questions and finds a surprising confidant in the gentle ghoul. Uta, Kaneki, and discussions over coffee. Takes place before the Aogiri arc.


Staying the Night

In which Kaneki stops by a certain mask maker's studio with questions and finds a surprising confidant in the gentle ghoul. Uta, Kaneki, and discussions over coffee. Takes place before the Aogiri arc.

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"Uta-san?" Kaneki's voice echoed in the dimly lit studio as he closed the door, only then noticing the 'closed' sign hanging on the brass doorknob.

_Oops, _the college student thought to himself, taking a few hesitant steps towards the center of the main room where the masks were displayed. He had gotten a quick glance at a new one (or at least one he hadn't noticed before) that had was adorned with twisting black ram horns. The youth shivered; he could only imagine the type of ghoul who had commissioned that piece.

"I-I'm sorry for visiting so late. I know you said I was welcome to come over any time and…" Kaneki trailed off, suddenly feeling ridiculously impudent and ill-mannered. The mask maker was arguably the kindest ghoul he knew, but could he even call him a friend? They had maybe a handful of conversations (where Uta had been nothing but gentle and polite—and perhaps a little devilish with his 'pranks') and Kaneki knew next to nothing about the man. Other than his love of making masks, of course.

Before his inner dialogue could convince him to scamper out of the studio with some of his dignity intact, Uta emerged from a dark hallway, a jar of eyeballs kept in some sort of liquid preservative cradled in his arms.

"Oh, good evening Kaneki-kun. It's a pleasure to see you. Would you like an eyeball?"

The boy shook his head, turning his attention elsewhere before he grew nauseous. "N-no thanks. I'm actually just here to… umm, talk."

The tattooed ghoul hummed in response, placing the jar of eyeballs into the fridge as the half-ghoul followed behind him steadily. "You're going to have to eat human flesh someday, Kaneki-kun. That hunger will eat you alive."

The dark-haired boy remained silent as he gazed at the floor. Uta was right. But he'd hold off on eating humans until the very end.

Noticing the change in atmosphere, Uta motioned towards the black sofa that marked the barrier between his studio and living quarters. "Please, sit. I'll make us some coffee."

Kaneki obeyed, taking a seat on the edge closest to the kitchen. Uta proceeded to make a simple blend of coffee, the scent of coffee beans permeating the flat. As he worked on making the coffee, Kaneki took the time to survey the ghoul's home for the first time.

The largest area was undoubtedly the 'studio' area. There was a large desk in the corner of the space which Kaneki could only assume as the place that Uta spent most of his time in. There were numerous crafting supplies scattered across it, items ranging from leather to needles to decorative paints. Past the display area where Uta kept his masks there was a hallway that led to the kitchen and living room. The kitchen was surprisingly well-stocked, the countertops were made of granite, and the dark wood finishing gave the space a cozy atmosphere. While the living room was small, there was enough room to just squeeze in a couch and an armchair which rested adjacent from each other, a glass table separating them. Kaneki imagined that the ghoul's sleeping quarters and bathroom were probably connected at the studio area, perhaps in the other hallway that he had never ventured through.

In no time at all it seemed Uta padded to towards the youth, handing him a steaming cup of black coffee. "Be careful. It's still very hot." He informed the boy before taking a seat in the armchair.

Kaneki thanked him gratefully, taking a sip of the heady brew. It caused the half-ghoul to squeeze his eyes shut at the bitterness. It was a good blend, just a lot more bitter than he was used to. Uta eyed the youth with curiosity but opted to simply take a sip of his own drink.

Placing the coffee cup on the glass table, Uta's expression grew solemn. "Now, what did you want to speak about?"

Kaneki scratched at his chin, giving a small, nervous laugh. "Uh, to tell the truth, I've been having a hard time with… with coming to terms of what I am now. B-but you already knew that and I really don't want to trouble you so—"

"Nonsense, Kaneki-kun. I will always do my best to help a friend in need. And, if you're asking my opinion, I have two pieces of advice to give you."

The boy nodded, shifting some of his weight on the armrest. "Please, go on."

Uta pointed a painted fingernail in Kaneki's direction, dark eyes widening with every word. "Alright. First, you must accept yourself. And one of the tenants you must accept of being a ghoul is your new diet. Which reminds me… I dissolved an eyeball into your cup of coffee. I hope you don't mind."

The poor boy nearly spilled the coffee on himself as his eyes widened to comical proportions, shaky hands placing the cup on the table.

"…Please tell me you were joking." He grimaced once he found himself able to speak again, a feeling of revulsion creeping up his spine. He did feel better, as if he had consumed human flesh, but it could also just be in his head. Knowing Uta, he was unsure if it were a harmless joke or if the man had actually gone and dissolved an eyeball of all things into his drink.

The tattooed ghoul continued on as if he hadn't heard Kaneki, bringing his own drink to his lips before speaking again. "My second piece of advice would be to get some sleep. You look like you haven't slept in days, friend."

Still a bit shaken, Kaneki could only let out a light chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Was it that obvious? I haven't been able to sleep because of some, uh, nightmares I've been having. Nightmares where I eat people."

"Ah, I see. You're scared you'll lose control and attack someone without being fully conscious of your actions." The ghoul observed.

Kaneki could only nod, folding his hands in his lap. He kept his head bowed even as he heard Uta get up and pick up their cups, shuffling over to the kitchen. A few moments later the ghoul returned, a thick wool blanket in his arms.

"Here." He said simply, draping the blanket around the boy. Kaneki could only blush as Uta returned to the armchair, giving the black-haired youth a small smile.

"You can stay the night. I'll watch to make sure you don't do anything."

"T-that's very kind, Uta-san, but I don't want to burden you—"

The ghoul interrupted, waving a hand in the boy's direction. "Would you prefer if I force-fed you human limbs instead? I don't want you to be a danger to yourself or others, Kaneki-kun."

Realizing he was beat, Kaneki resigned to his fate, adjusting so he laid diagonally against the sofa, using the armrest as a makeshift pillow. It was a bit awkward having Uta blatantly watching him as he tried to sleep, but at the same time it was comforting. He had heard from the others that Uta was very strong; if he acted out in his sleep, Kaneki was sure the man would stop him from attacking anyone.

"How strange…" Uta mumbled to himself, not clarifying his thoughts to the dark-haired boy.

He had never meant to meddle this much in Kaneki's affairs—he was only responsible for the accident which saved and damned the boy to the life of a ghoul. He was supposed to merely observe and watch as Kaneki's life crumbled into tragedy as the _Pierrot _normally did for entertainment. But here he was, being especially nice to the boy—so much so that he was confused with his own emotions.

_Is this what real friendship feels like? _Uta thought to himself, noticing that Kaneki had obeyed him without much fanfare—without even a hint of doubt in regards to the supposedly pacifistic mask maker. He was so trusting despite how many times he had been betrayed by other ghouls. Almost innocent. And maybe that was what made him so _interesting. _

In moments the boy was fast asleep, curled in a ball with the blanket pulled up past his chin. Kaneki let out soft, warm breaths, seemingly at ease with the other ghoul's presence. His days without sleep had definitely caught up to him; he was just lucky that Uta wasn't in the mood to try out half-ghoul flesh.

"Goodnight, Kaneki-kun…" Uta murmured, feeling his own eyes drift closed. He hadn't bothered to tell Kaneki that the couch was where he normally slept as he didn't own a bed, but he imagined that the boy would have left if he had known. So the humble mask maker drifted off to sleep, a single question resounding in his head as he leaned back in the armchair, pulling the lever that allowed for the leg rest to swing out.

_Will I miss him… when he dies? _

Only time would tell if he was ready to have Ken Kaneki's story end in tragedy.

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><p>AN: Hey guys! I felt like writing some fluff and angst so I decided to let my muse run wild w/ Kaneki and Uta. I love writing fics where these two are in the forefront, so um yeah… ^^' I hope you enjoyed it~

_**Review? **_

-isis

((psst, I made an roleplay/ask blog for uta on tumblr if anyone's interested and wants to bother me w/ questions and stuff. The url is the-pierrot-uta))


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